Along the Way
by stubadingdong
Summary: Just a little character exploration. No big whoop. Trip/T'Pol; kinda angsty, kinda not.


Disclaimer: Characters certainly do not belong to me. I'm just shallow and using them for my own enjoyment.  
  
Notes: I wrote this before the episode `Shadows of P'Jem' aired. Any similarities herein are completely creepy and unintentional. I just wanted to attempt a little character piece.  
  
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As soon as the Captain called me, I shot out of Engineering like a bullet from a gun. He had mentioned something about an Away Mission gone horribly wrong. All I knew for sure was that the entire team was in sickbay, suffering various wounds from an ambush on what we thought was a peaceful planet.  
  
I wasn't exactly sure who even went on that mission, just that when your entire Away Team gets attacked, it's cause for alarm. I rode the lift in agitated impatience, stormed down the hall to Sickbay, and stopped cold once I entered.  
  
The Captain and Dr. Phlox were talking quietly in the corner. All the biobeds were full. A quick glance around told me that most of the Away Team suffered only superficial wounds. Hoshi, Reed and Cutler were all sitting up on the edges of their beds. Various bandages and casts were applied, but otherwise they seemed fine.  
  
My gaze rested on the fourth member of that team. My heart began thudding even faster in my chest. I clenched my fists against my legs and tried to control my breathing. I looked up at the Captain and Phlox. They both nodded and turned away, continuing their conversation.  
  
I took a step closer. T'Pol was lying there looking the most peaceful I've ever seen her. But she was hooked up to some tubes and wires, recovering from her injury. She had suffered injuries the most severe of them all. She had been shot with a weapon that neither Starfleet, the Vulcan High Command, nor doctor Phlox had ever seen or heard of. Fortunately, our Denebulan physician is good at what he does. He stitched up T'Pol and was monitoring her closely. That was about as much as I knew.  
  
What I didn't know was why I was having this reaction. Since when did I care about our resident Vulcan?? Why did it bother me to look at her lying in Sickbay on a biobed?  
  
I stepped up to the side of her bed. I studied her quietly, not really realizing I was even doing it. I wiped my now sweaty palms on my uniform and reached out a hand. T'Pol's eyes fluttered. I snatched my hand back just before her eyes opened. She blinked and looked around the room without moving a muscle. Finally her eyes locked on mine and she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Hey," I said, and gave her a weak smile. I even raised my hand in a small retarded wave. T'Pol scowled and I dropped my hand to my side again.  
  
We stared at each other for a minute, neither one of us really sure what we were doing in Sickbay.  
  
"How you feelin'?" I tried again, completely uncomfortable yet unable to walk out of here.  
  
"I have been seriously injured," T'Pol said weakly. "Dr. Phlox has repaired the damage to my body and says I'm recovering `nicely.'"  
  
She paused, closed her eyes and swallowed. She looked back up at me and continued, "I am fine, Commander."  
  
I smiled and nodded. So much like her. I took the liberty of sitting on the edge of her bed. I figured she couldn't really fight me off. To her credit, all she did was scowl again.  
  
"Why are you here?" T'Pol asked. Again, so much like her. I suppressed a smile this time. I looked at her and was uncomfortable again. What was my problem? Why was this so difficult? She was part of the same crew as me. She was my colleague. My hands were sweating again.  
  
"I...just wanted t'check in on ya. Cap'n called me up from Engineering and told me the whole team was ambushed," I explained, rushing my words. "I'm...concerned...is all." If there's one thing I've learned since this whole mission began it was how to speak to a Vulcan.  
  
T'Pol nodded once and closed her eyes again. I couldn't tear my own away from her. For the first time, I think I realized how striking she is. Hell, she's beautiful.  
  
"Thank you, Commander," she whispered, not opening her eyes. I swallowed and nodded. I just sat there, staring dumbly at her. I still wasn't exactly sure what I was doing here. I wiped my palms on my thighs again and fidgeted nervously. Christ, I felt like I was twelve. I studied the things in sickbay closely. Dr. Phlox had many odd things I wouldn't have thought had much to do with medicine. I suppose not being a human he'd have different practices, different resources.  
  
"You're still here, Commander," came a raspy voice on the bed. I snapped my head back to T'Pol. She had opened one eye and was studying me just as hard as I was the room.  
  
"Yeah," I said. "Just wanted to keep an eye on you."  
  
"Isn't that what the doctor is for?" she asked sarcastically. I smiled.  
  
"That's my T'Pol," I murmured, barely audible. I hadn't meant to even say it out loud. It just...popped out. T'Pol raised an eyebrow and lowered it immediately. We both knew she heard me. I cursed inwardly. In what could have probably been a defining moment in our relationship, we silently and mutually decided not to talk about it. Maybe if we ignored that little comment, it would go away. I forged ahead with the conversation.  
  
"I guess I was just worried," I said sheepishly. I tossed my shoulder up in a half shrug. I looked down at my hands in my lap, unable to meet her gaze. I felt so stupid.  
  
"Why didn't you just say that in the beginning?" T'Pol asked quietly. I looked up to her face and did not see the contempt that was usually there. I took a deep breath.  
  
"Thought maybe you'd get kinda pissy if I said I was. Worry is a useless emotion, as you no doubt are aware," I said.  
  
"Not all the time, Mr. Tucker," she replied. "Thank you for your concern about me." She reached out a hand and put it lightly over mine. I stared at her then down to our hands.  
  
"What's goin' on here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "How come you're not getting all argumentative with me?"  
  
"You mean why aren't we fighting?" she asked, lifting a brow. I nodded slowly, but couldn't keep the smile off my face. "Maybe," T'Pol whispered, "I just don't have the strength."  
  
I cocked my head at her and lifted my chin in the best impression of her I could do. "Maybe," I said quietly, "somewhere along the way...we became friends."  
  
"That would imply that I like you, Commander," she said, without missing a beat. I held the smile on my face, but did not miss the twinkle in her eyes.  
  
I leaned forward, bending down towards her face. I got as close to her ear as I could and whispered, "Vulcans are horrible liars." I sat back up, gave her hand a squeeze and stood up. I turned and walked out of Sickbay. 


End file.
